Telecommunications equipment for converting electrical signals to optical and for converting optical signals to electrical are useful in various applications. For example, electrical to optical and optical to electrical converters are useful in applications were signals arrive in the electrical media but must be distributed over distances greater than is possible over a continuous electrical conductor. Signals may only be transferred relatively limited distances on electrical conductors due to attenuation before repeaters must be introduced to reconstruct the signal. However, fiber conductors can carry a signal over distances many times greater than electrical conductors. Therefore, applying an electrical to optical conversion for a signal prior to distribution and then optical to electrical conversion near the destination eliminates the need for the interposed repeater circuits. Also, employing one large diameter fiber optic cable reduces the clutter that would result from the many coaxial cables that would otherwise be necessary.
Telecommunications equipment such as electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical converters generate electromagnetic interference and are sensitive to external sources of electromagnetic interference. Housings/chassis are used to shield signal converters from external electromagnetic interference and to prevent interference generated by the converters from affecting adjacent equipment.